The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-11-10
From I'd column, 18th psge.l

! her breath IN surprise ANY one offer bel
) money for her simple music her-a blinC
; girli She be able to earn something's If il
were only possible! Oh! if she only might bt
able to say TO her brother: Look, Rudolf
what | have earned with my own hands
The old servant, Marie imagined, was only
telling her through sympathy for her afilic
ton, and the landlady had no idea of EN-,
ploying her. Thus she reasoned, for she
could not realize that there was so much hap
piness in store for her But directly the host
eSs came in person and repeated the wish with
sweet, agreeable words. She might begin at
once, tomorrow, she said Only one request
had she TO make, she continued and that was
for her to play the livelieSt pieces she knew.
Hei customers were honest laboring people,
who usually preferred cheerful music
The blind girl thanked her with her voice
trembling with pleasure. Asking her not to
let her brother know anything about it, "at
least at first" she added.
ooh! he shall not find it out, rest assured
of that" she replied.
The next evening she came and led the girl
down. Directly at the foot of the stairway
was door leading into the restaurant. The
room was filled with noisy, carousing rsan.
1t was easy to read the character of the place
in their faces.
The hostess managed to have some one con-
tinually to furnish music, to make her place
attractive. Sometimes it was wandering
vlohnist, or Il street singer, this time it was
the blind girl. In corner of the room stood
a plano, to which she guided her. Like a
star with its pure light shining in q wilder
ness, was the innocent maiden in that crowd
of uncultured, vicious men.
Some of them looked at her in surprise and
with timidity, and listened for while atten-
lively to her playing. But soon they took no
| further notice of her. The blind girl could
| hear the hum of the voices around her; but
did not notice what was passing among them,
| SO buslly was she engaged in her performance
| and so anxious to satisfy the landady with
| her efforts. She selected the brightest and
most cheerful airs, and played increasingly
for more than an hour. When she was COM
pletely exhausted her employer asked her to
stop, handing her the promised money, and
led her through the throng of boisterous men
to the foot of the stairs, from whence she
usually assembled alone.
How happy she felt. At last she was able
to tighten her brothers burden-to do some
thing toward repaying him for his great and
she CROPPED her way up the long flights of
steps. Convulsively and tightly her little
aching fingers clasped the coin which seemed
TO propel current Of electricity through her
every vein, so hot was the blood stream that
coursed from her quickly beating heart. She
mad TO stop to catch her'breath at the door of
her little room. "How much money excites
one," she said to herself, almost frightened at
the new and peculiar feeling which she felt
over Der first earnings; but still it was only
for her brother, and the thought Of giving
him pleasure that animated her.
The second evening passed like the first
Inc soft, sweet, ripping notes seemed to fall
from the tips of her flying fingers, and the
sweet, strange music sounded with the tumnlt
Ike the frightened, disconnected song of n
bird in stormy forest. Again she received
payment for her exertion; which, inexperi-
enced in the ways of the world as she was.
seemed fortune to her.
Then camo the third and eventful evening
She had been at the piano longer than
usual, and was just turning to leave when she
felt strong arm thrown around her, and the
coarse voice of drunken man sounded CLOSE
to her ear
"Give me kiss, little treasure"
Almost paralyzed with terror, she sprang
up and attempted to tear herself from the
horrible embrace, but the arm only closed
more tightly around her.
"Hold her fast, Thomas"
"Let her 60" roared the boisterous crowd
"Help! HelpW she cried at the top of her
voice, and with an almost superhuman effort
she tore herself from the flend and staggered
through the crowd, her poor sightless ewes
rolling in her fright and her hands held out
before her toward the entrance
Attracted by the disturbance, the landladv
fastened to the spot Comprehending the
situation at glance, she grasped the girl,
who, i'll her fright, trembled like an aspen
leaf, and hurried her through the door to the
foot of the stairs, which she began to climb.
at every step, so full of terror was |
she.
In the restaurant the crowd tried To re-
strain the frenzied man who was attempting
to follow her. A fearful struggle ensued in
which the demon was victorious Throwing
the crowd right and left in his madness, like |
straws in gust of wind, he plunged through |
the door. Not seeing the blind girl. he |
beloved Ike an enraged beast. Then at
tracted by her stumbling footsteps lie caught |
sight of her on The first landing. Blind with |
passion, and crazed with intoxication, he |
,prang after her, mounting three or four |
steps at time He caught her, and drew |
her roughly III to his arms.
"Rudolfl! Rudolf!!" she shrieked and the |
terrible cry sounded through the building
from the ground to the roof. A noise was |
heard above, some one was bounding-almost |
.umbling-down the flights of steps.
"Marie" cried an anxious, apprehensive |
voice, and hand, thrust from a manly |
shoulder clutched the throat of the assailant |
in wise like grip-a howl of rage from the |
cowardly wretch, mighty blow from a
,lenched fist between the flaming eyes. The |
;enseless motonless body of the maiden fell |
TO the steps between the struggling lpen. |
Rudolf sprang quickly to one side, AMI the |
next instant the bowling, incarnate Satan |
was locked i'll an embrace of iron. Then a |
severe struggle, a smothered groaning, pow.
erful crushing blow-a shriek-a death groan |
"a rattle in the throat and a flood of blood, |
and a lifeless corpse rolled down the steps. |
Then all was quiet. Rudolf had taken tho |
life of q fellow man-but he realized il not; |
his eager, anxious glance sought first the |
pale, lifeless face of his sister, He bent over |
her, touched her bloodless cheeks-felt for |
the beating of her heart which had |
stilled its throbbings. Oh, God! Was
she deadl Everything grew black before |
him, and he would have fallen but for the |
aid of friendly hand which caught him as
his hOiV SwaVpd toward the edUo of tho etoir